Chihuahua not housebroken

Question
Hi there.  I'm one of two frustrated housemates of a Chihuahua owner.  The dog's name is Kazi, she's almost 2 years old.  Our housemate has failed to house break her.  He tried to teach her to use those indoor pads before we lived with him, with limited success.  Now, we have a yard, and we'd all like her to use it as her bathroom.  The thing is, she can spend 2 hours running around outside playing, and then come in and immediately pee and/or defecate on the floor.

It's driving me up the wall.  Is her age going to be a problem in training her to do something other than what she's become used to?  What are some methods of training her not to go in the house?

The owner of Kazi insists that she (Kazi) knows that what she's doing is bad, but I have serious doubts about that.  Any recommendations?

Answer
Buy a crate suited to her size. Keep her in it until it's time to go outside. If she eliminates outside, praise and reward her. If you don't see her go, she goes back in the crate. Make sure you limit water and food intake to only when she needs it.

A great book on the subject is Shirlee Kalstone's book, available on Amazon or my website, Dogasaur.com. Quick read in housetraining basics.

She has been confused by these different methods in the past so consistency is key. Keep at it and try not to get too frustrated.

Good luck,

Josh Abrams,
Founder, Dogasaur.com